Excellence in Midwifery Student Leadership Undergraduate Scholarship
In the past, many of the outstanding actions of Indigenous and/or racialized midwifery students have silently gone unrecognized by the Midwifery Education Program. Established in 2020 by members of the midwifery community, this scholarship aims to support and highlight the important work that IBPOC students continue to do year after year.
Specifically, the scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student enrolled in the Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University who identifies as Indigenous or racialized, attains high averages, and demonstrates excellence in one of three areas: 1. exemplary client care, 2. innovative community outreach, or 3. exceptional engagement in campus life.
For its inaugural year, a call for applications was sent in Fall 2020. The applications received were reviewed by a 3-member selection committee, which included one midwifery instructor, one staff member, and one community midwife, all of whom identify as Indigenous and/or racialized.
For its inaugural year, we are very honored to announce that Maisha Ahmed, a current level 2 student, has been selected to receive this scholarship valued at $2,500. The competition was intense, and Maisha is commended for her academic and extra-curricular achievements and determination.
About Maisha Ahmed
I am in my second year of the MEP at McMaster University and I am grateful to be chosen for the Excellence in Midwifery Student Leadership Award. I have been a Campus Tour Guide at Mac for the past two and a half years and have had the opportunity to meet hundreds of students and their parents. I always try to emphasize the importance of mental health in university and work towards destigmatizing it. I have found that talking about my own mental health experiences that are often shared among the IBPOC community has let me really connect with younger students. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have continued to virtually connect with prospective students about university life and midwifery. It has been wonderful educating people on topics like the philosophy and scope of midwifery, maternity healthcare and the interprofessional collaboration we do as allied health professionals. I hope to continue informing people about the importance of midwifery in our communities and hopefully reach those who may also be passionate about working in this field. My future goal after completing the program is to work in predominantly racialized communities where my skills and experiences will allow me to best connect with the clients.
See the original article on the Midwifery Program’s Undergraduate Program’s website.
Midwifery at Mac, Midwifery Undergraduate Program